SURVIVAL OF THE ILLEST

To say that hip-hop has gone through an evolution is like saying that Rakim has occasionally bragged--it doesn't quite capture the enormity. (Hey, if Rev Run had attempted the crooked-wing emo musings of Kanye three decades ago, he would've had met a heretic's reception.) The Rap Guide to Evolution celebrates the scope of humanity's existence through creator-rapper Baba Brinkman's nonstop flow, ruminating on both Darwinism and the conscious complexities of hip-hop culture. The show, his follow-up to the audacious "Rap Canterbury Tales," won Brinkman an award at the prestigious Edinburgh Fringe Festival; we say he's due for a Coolest Teacher trophy, too.
Tuesdays-Fridays, 8 p.m.; Saturdays, 7 & 9:30 p.m.; Sundays, 5 & 7:30 p.m. Starts: June 17. Continues through Oct. 2, 2011